

Obvious errors and misspellings were corrected, but no effort was made to standardize identification of military ranks, which were cited by photographers in various ways. Whenever possible, original captions are used and appear in quotation marks however, no attempt was made to verify completely the accuracy of all the information included in these captions. The pictures are first grouped by the five military branches and then by subject headings entitled Merchant Marine, Women in the Military, Training, Rest and Relaxation, Personalities, and the Homefront. The majority of the pictures were chosen from the records of the Army Signal Corps (Record Group 111), Department of the Navy (Record Group 80), Coast Guard (Record Group 26), Marine Corps (Record Group 127) and the Office of War Information (Record Group 208). The pictures were selected from the holdings of the Still Picture Branch (RRSS) of the National Archives and Records Administration. The images described on this page illustrate African-American participation in World War II. They worked in war industries and in government wartime agencies, sold war bonds, voluntarily conserved goods needed for the war, performed civil defense duties, encouraged troops by touring camps as entertainers, risked their lives on the front lines to report the war, and performed many other vital services. On the homefront, African-Americans also did their part to support the war. They served with distinction, made valuable contributions to the war effort, and earned well-deserved praise and commendations for their struggles and sacrifices.

Despite these impediments, many African-American men and women met the challenge and persevered. While serving in the Army, Army Air Forces, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, they experienced continuing discrimination and segregation. To that end, over 2.5 million African-American men registered for the draft, and black women volunteered in large numbers. African-Americans were ready to work and fight for their country, but at the same time they demanded an end to the discrimination against them.
Bean battles pics full#
Thus, as the war unfolded, they vehemently insisted on the privileges of full citizenship. African-Americans recognized the paradox of fighting a world war for the "four freedoms'' while being subjected to prejudicial practices in the United States. Throughout the war years they repeatedly had to battle adversaries on two fronts: the enemy overseas and racism at home. World War II began over 80 years ago and as we continue to honor those Americans who undoubtedly and courageously contributed to the defense of our nation, we often overlook in our remembrances the valiant efforts of African Americans.
Bean battles pics drivers#
It does not store any personal data.Original Caption: "These drivers of the 666th Quartermaster Truck Company, 82nd Airborne Division, who chalked up 20,000 miles each without an accident, since arriving in the European Theater of Operations." Local Identifier: 208-AA-32P-3, National Archives Identifier: 535533. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.
